


In The Dark

by Mimi011



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Break Up, Confessions, F/F, F/M, Getting Together, LGBTQ Female Character, parb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:47:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23763355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimi011/pseuds/Mimi011
Summary: On a quest to find a magical stone, Branch, Poppy and Barb find themselves stuck in a cave that will only release them once they reveal their biggest secrets.
Relationships: Poppy/Barb, past Branch/Poppy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 84





	In The Dark

“It’s too dark, I can’t see anything,” says Poppy, squinting. 

Branch waves in arms in front of him to gauge where he is and bumps into the cave wall. He starts to feel around to try to find a way out. 

“Why would they set a booby trap for after we already got the thing?” Barb grumbles. 

“Maybe we just didn’t trip it on the way in?” Poppy says.

“I feel something,” says Branch, tracing the outline of an etching on the wall. “I think it might be an inscription.”

Barb and Poppy turn to Branch. 

“Can you make out what it says?” the Pop Queen asks. 

“I think so, but it might take awhile for me to figure it out.”

Barb exhales shortly through her nose. 

“It says ‘You who have ventured far to-” she begins.

“Wait, you can read it?” Branch asks.

Barb snorts. “Uh, yeah. All rock trolls have night vision. Volcano Rock City is like, super dark most of the time.”

“Really? That’s so cool!”

“Could’ve mentioned that earlier,” Branch murmurs under his breath and steps aside for Barb to get a closer look at the inscription.

Barb takes his place by the wall and continues to read. 

“You who have ventured far to arrive in this place have proven your valor through the hardships you’ve faced,” she recites. “You are worthy of the stone that rests in your hands, but only if you show how your honesty stands. Only then will you be released beyond the gate, but if your candor proves lacking, to stay trapped is your fate.”

She finishes, and the group take a moment to process.

“So we just need to be honest with each other?” Branch aks. “But how exactly? Like, ‘my favorite color is green’ kind of honesty or like, deepest, darkest secrets kind of honest?”

“Oh! I have an idea!” says Poppy. “We could play never have I ever until the gate decides we’ve been honest enough.”

“Ugh, but that could take forever!” Barb says.

“Then we better get started,” says the Pop Queen.

The three trolls sit in a circle on the cave floor. 

“Branch, how about you go first,” Poppy suggests.

“Okay. Uhm, never have I ever . . . sailed a sailboat?”

Barb snorts in amusement. No one puts a finger down.

“Good start,” says Poppy. “Never have I ever not had dessert. Your turn, Barb.”

Barb and Branch both put a finger down.

“This is stupid,” Barb mutters under her breath before relenting. “Never have I ever played the ukulele.”

Poppy frowns and puts a finger down along with Branch. 

“Aw, but you know I play the ukulele,” she pouts. 

“The rules’re the rules,” Barb shrugged with a smirk. “Besides, we’re not playing to win, we’re playing to open the gate.”

The game continues for another hour after many targeted never-have-i-ever (had a piercing, lived in a bunker, decorated with glitter, etc.) but the gate doesn’t budge.

Eventually, Barb stands and groans in frustration, throwing her arms in the air. “We’ve been at this for way too long. This isn’t working!”

“Ugh, I know,” Poppy admits finally and flops down on the cold stone floor. 

Branch presses his lips together. “Deep dark secrets it is then?” 

The two queens say nothing, resigning to what they have to do, but still unwilling to do it. After a minute of silence, Branch sighs. 

“Look, it’s literally honesty or death,” he says. “I know none of us wants to spill our guts like this, but I dunno, maybe it’ll be a good team-building exercise?”

Barb lowers her eyebrows and sends Branch a pointed look. Poppy starts to worry her lip, looking nervous for the first time during their entrapment. 

“I can start,” says Branch. “It’s actually something that I’ve been needing to say.”

Barb’s heart falls to her stomach when she sees Branch turn to Poppy. 

“Poppy, I care a lot about you,” he takes a deep, steadying breath. “I want you to know that I’ll always love you . . .”

Branch hesitates. Poppy stares at him in apprehension and takes his hand to give it a squeeze. He smiles softly and squeezes back.

“I’ll always love you,” he continues. “But I think what we want from our lives doesn’t match up. You’re the queen and you want to be there for your people. I want to be there for them too, but I don’t want to be king.”

“King?” Poppy repeats, surprised and confused.

“Poppy, you’re my best friend,” he says. “You’ve taught me so much about myself that I never knew because I locked myself away, because I was afraid of everything. I brought us all the way out here to find this dumb stone just to learn about it, and now we’re trapped here and yeah, I’m scared we might not be able to appease this dumb gate-”

“Branch,” says Poppy softly, her eyes wide.

“I know, I’m rambling.” He shakes his head. “The point is that if we were to go to the next step in our relationship then I’d need to stay in Pop Village and help out as their King. But I want to help them by leaving Pop Village- I want to travel the world so I can learn and teach everyone about what’s out there. It wouldn’t be right for a King to not be there for his people, so I don’t want to be King. I don’t want to marry you only to constantly be away. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us. You deserve someone who can be there for you when you need them, and I won’t be able to do that when I’m away.”

He stops, unsure if he can manage the courage to say what needs to be said. 

“You want to break up,” Poppy says slowly, her shoulders slumped. 

Branch nods. Poppy stares at him for a moment before turning her eyes to the ground and letting out a breath. 

Barb watches Poppy’s expression carefully, unsure of how she’s feeling. Both queens are reeling at Branch’s confession. 

“I’m glad you told me,” Poppy says after a minute, meeting Branch’s eyes. She gives him a reassuring smile that might be more for herself. 

He opens his arms wide. She accepts his offer and comes in for the hug, her smile falling once her head is hidden in Branch’s shoulder. 

“So, uhm- me next,” says Poppy and retreats from the hug. She takes a deep breath. “I was also planning on breaking up.”

Branch’s eyes open wide in surprise, while Barb’s jaw hangs open. 

“I think I realized it during Barb’s whole world domination fiasco,” she says. “I still love you so much, but like a brother, you know?”

“Yeah, I get it,” Branch nods, his lips pursed. Only Barb can see the confliction written over his face. 

“Phew, that’s good,” says Poppy, visibly relieved and smiling a little brighter. 

Then she turns to Barb. The Rock Queen stiffens. 

“Your turn, rockstar,” she says.

Barb’s cheeks tint darker. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other and crosses her arms over her chest.

“Fine. I got Debbie as a coronation present from my dad,” she says, staring at her feet. “When I tried to pet her she bit me pretty bad, and that’s why my ear’s got a chunk missing.”

Poppy blinks. “Huh,” she says.

“What?” Barb barks, her brow furrowed. 

“Nothing! It’s just, I didn’t expect such a- uh- usual secret from you.”

Branch glances to the cave entrance, which is still barred. 

“It didn’t work,” Branch says, gesturing towards the gate. 

“But- but you guys didn’t know about that!” she points out.

“Maybe the secret needs to be something no one else knows, not just us,” he says.

Barb groans and pulls at her hair. 

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you!” she says.

“The truth, Barb,” says Branch, gesturing to the gate. “So we can escape!”

She shoots him a glare. 

“You want the truth? Fine!” Barb stomps over to Branch. “We’re only stuck here because you’re on some bullshit, high and mighty knowledge-is-power kick.”

“Hey, I was planning on going alone, but you two insisted on coming with,” he says. “I told you it would be dangerous.”

“I only tagged along on your stupid quest because there was no way I’d let Poppy go alone with you and be eaten by whatever monsters are out here anyway!”

Poppy’s face scrunches. “Barb, I appreciate it and all, but I’m not some defenseless, damsel in distress princess. I’m a queen and I can take a few monsters.”

Barb turns to the Queen of Pop, her anger diffusing. 

“I know that- I just-” she groans in exasperation. “I don’t want to see you get hurt because of him.”

“You’re missing the point,” says Poppy, frowning. “I’m the one who wanted to go on Branch’s quest. I thought it would be fun, and I was so happy when you said you’d come too. I thought this would be a fun trip with my friends! I don’t want us to fight- I just-” Poppy sighs and hangs her head. “You say you’re always so busy, and Branch’s going to be away a lot more. I just thought it’d be a good opportunity to spend time together.”

Barb’s mouth opens, about to retort, when she hesitates. Her lip curls and her brow pinches forward. She takes a deep breath and unclenches her fists. 

“I’m sorry,” she says quietly. “I know that you can take care of yourself, but I still want to be there for you, if you need me. I want-” she exhales shakily- “I want you to need me. I want to help you and protect you and spend time with you and-  _ fuck-  _ I know it’s stupid, because you don’t need me when you’ve got yourself and Branch and every other troll in the world on your side-”

Barb stops short when she feels Poppy’s hand on her upper arm. They meet eyes, and Barb is glad it's too dark for Poppy to see the blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Of course I need you,” she says gently, giving Barb’s arm a comforting squeeze. “You’re one of my best friends, Barb- I’ll always need you.”

The rock troll’s face falls. She steps away from Poppy’s grasp. 

“You don’t understand,” she says lowly and scowls at the floor.

Poppy isn’t phased. She reaches out for Barb’s hand, and she lets her take it. Barb turns her head away and closes her eyes, scared of what she would say if she saw the look on the other queen’s face.

“You could try to help me understand,” says Poppy, rubbing her thumb over the back on Barb’s hand. “I want to understand.”

Barb finally looks up from the floor. She meets Poppy’s eyes, full of sincerity and love. After the ordeal they’ve been through, that look is all it takes for Barb to let go of her inhibitions.

She lets go of Poppy’s hand. The Queen of Pop isn’t given the chance to miss their contact. Barb’s calloused, musician’s hands are suddenly cradling her face and pulling her in close. 

Their lips meet. 

In her shock, Poppy stares at Barb, whose eyes are closed and who’s kissing her. Her brow is pinched in either focus or nerves, and Poppy can’t tell which because Barb is kissing her. Her lips are warm like her hands, but they’re soft, and she knows all this because  _ Barb is kissing her _ . 

Just as suddenly as she instigated it, Barb pulls away and ends the kiss. Poppy continues to stare, wide eyed and mystified. 

“The gate’s falling!” says Branch, and only then does Poppy realize that the cavern is shaking as the stone that trapped them crumbles away. 

Poppy turns back to Barb. She’s staring at the floor again, a grimace on her face and her arms crossed against her chest. The moonlight allows her to see the furious blush running across her cheeks.

“Barb . . .” she trails off, wanting to say something but speechless.

“Forget about it,” says Barb, refusing to meet her eyes. “I just needed to get us out of this stupid cave.”

Poppy frowns and makes her way over to the rock troll. Barb turns her head, but doesn’t move. She flinches when Poppy pulls her into a hug. 

“Thanks for telling me,” she whispers.

Barb’s eyes widen and she turns her head just in time for Poppy to give her a kiss on the cheek. Barb stands frozen as Poppy runs over to Branch, who says something along the lines of ‘it's about time we get out of here' and then 'what did Barb tell you anyway?'

A smile slowly creeps along Barb’s face. She lets out a soft laugh and runs to catch up with her friends. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> :)


End file.
